Twist and Turns

• Age Range:  12 - 18 years

• Grade Level: 7 - 12

• 2004 Bank Street’s Best Children’s Book of the Year

• Booklist Editor’s Choice

SUMMARY

Janet McDonald introduces readers to two sisters who discover that all you have to do is stick together to handle life's many twists and turns.

It may have taken them an extra year or two to do it, but the Washington sisters finally graduated high school, and this definitely calls for a celebration. But after the party ends, then what? The girls have no plans. Unlike their smart best friend Raven Jefferson, who's away at college, and their nerdy best friend Toya Larson, who's in computer training, and their overall best friend Aisha Ingram, who's rocking in TV commercials, Keeba and Teesha are still hanging out on neighborhood benches as if nothing's changed.

Then an older friend convinces the sisters that they, too, have a skill – braiding hair – and why not make a business of it? With a loan from Aisha, the Washingtons open TeeKee's Tresses in a rented storefront, and the future looks pretty solid . . . that is, until a rival's jealousy, a landlord's greed, and a politician's scheme turn the sisters' world upside down.

REVIEWS

“The prose contains plenty of street dialogue that most teens can readily relate to and the story has both humor and poignancy. The main characters exhibit both strengths and considerable vulnerability. This story shows readers that opportunities are open to everyone, including themselves.”—School Library Journal

“McDonald shows how hard things are, even as she tells a story of teens with ‘ghetto glamour,’ who find the strength in themselves and in those around them to rebuild and carry on.” —Booklist